Purple powered prize-winner from Southborough

Sunday

Jun 15, 2014 at 12:01 AM

By Rob HaneisenDaily News staff

SOUTHBOROUGH - Antique cars in the hands of those who appreciate them often go in one of two directions: a full restoration to bring back the original condition and look or an extreme hot rod effect for something completely different.But this Southborough classic car owner took a great 1949 sedan and blazed his own path of auto restoration, blending the elements of customization and original restoration. And he blazed that path in lots of purple. Chris Willis's car won "best paint" at this month's Main Street Auto Show in Marlborough and won last year's Mayor's Prize.The owner: Chris Willis, 56, SouthboroughOccupation: Research chemistThe Car: 1949 Chevrolet Fleetline DeLuxeWhen and where did you get this car?I bought the car from my Uncle Pete (Harlon) Willis in June 1999. He had bought the car from a friend he had grown up with and had seen his friend's dad drive the car since it was new. The car appeared at our family's homestead farm in Maine in the mid ‘80s while I was restoring my '48 Willys CJ2A and was parked in a part of the barn beside my jeep. When I heard my uncle was selling it, I asked how much, and he said, “For you? $2900.” I said OK and I put Massachusetts plates on it and drove it around in Maine for a couple of weekends before bringing it down to Southborough.Why did you want this car? What was it that appealed to you?I wanted the car because it has very appealing lines. The body is streamlined, and yet there is plenty of room under the hood. I thought that I wanted to hot rod it; putting a 454 under the hood and tubbing out the rear-end to put some big meats under it. When I talked about my plans with my uncle, he said to hold off on doing anything like that. He said that I should just drive the car for a while and really see what it was I had.As you drove the car, did your plans for it change?So I listened to his advice. After all, the car had 31,000 miles on it when I purchased it. The body was in good shape and he had swapped a 1960 235 straight six for the tired 216 it had been built with. He always said that the 235 was a strong engine and that I could probably pull the barn over with it.What were some of the early challenges with this car?When I brought the car home to Southborough, I stored it in my Cover It tent garage. I was pretty careful about keeping the windows rolled up and the vents closed because the interior was pretty decent and the headliner was perfect and I didn't want any critters to climb inside. I packed mothballs everywhere I could and it would take a good 15 minutes of driving with the windows down to air it out. One time my family went on vacation for two weeks. Shortly after the vacation, I drove the car to work (at Genzyme on New York Avenue in Framingham) and a co-worker followed me in and asked if I had a brake light out. I opened the trunk to find that mice had moved in during my vacation, building nests from the cushions around my wiring and enjoying my wires as snacks. I patched up my wires and tried to be more vigilant about keeping the mice out of the car, which seemed like a losing proposition.Why did you restore the car?I really wanted to restore it. I had tried every manner of polishing and waxing the paint and just couldn't get it to look decent. My uncle said that since the car was so complete (being a DeLuxe, it had come with the radio, clock and cigarette lighter!) I had a lot to work with, but that I should make it the car that I wanted it to be. He said doing a factory original restoration was fine, but that no matter how much I might spend to get every last detail correct, there would always be some guy at a show with a car that was a little nicer. He said to focus on making it right for me and not to worry about other people's cars. So I did.How extensive was the work?The car itself was pretty complete, but in 2005 after 56 years, things were tired. My wife Peggy and I discussed getting the car painted and having things “freshened up a bit” and she said OK, as long as I didn't paint it black. At a family barbecue, my brothers and I looked at paint chips and we picked out some shades of purple from the PPG Vibrance paint line. I talked with my long-time friend Ricky Meisenheimer at All Car Care in Southborough about my color choices and he said we could do something pretty cool.Most people don't realize how expensive a serious paint job for a classic car costs. Why does it cost so much? When I decided to have the body restored, I had the engine removed for a rebuild. The engine went to Aubrey's Machine Shop in the Lacombe business center in Marlborough. The body was media blasted to strip all of the paint from the body, undersides and frame. After stripping, the body was sealed to prevent surface rust and the major restoration commenced. A few moth holes were patched in the lower quarters and some floor boards and trunk panels were replaced. All of the glass was removed- the flat glass was delaminated and yellowed. The windshield was re-installed and the remaining glass was replaced with gray tinted glass and all new rubber was used everywhere. Body panels were shaped and smoothed to take out dings and the body was painted right after Thanksgiving of 2005. The engine and transmission were painted to match the body and re-installed and a lowered suspension was installed. Reassembling the car took some time: I restored every piece of stainless steel on the body which amounted to hundreds of hours tapping out dents, filing and sanding the surface smooth and polishing using four different buffing wheels. It was almost another year before the car was on the road. It soon went to New England Trim in Shrewsbury where Matt Smith installed the purple and white leather interior. Along the way I re-wired the entire electrical system, replaced all of the springs and added custom fitted wheels from Stockton Wheel.People often ask me how much the car cost to restore. I hesitate to give a number, but I can say that the body work alone was well north of $20,000. Owning my Jeep since 1982, I had never thought of spending anywhere near that much money on a car, but once you get into a project, it's like a poker game: You don't stand up until the game is over or your money is all gone.How did you get interested in classic cars?I grew up around antique cars and I think that once you get a whiff of that sweet smell of old gasoline, you're hooked. My uncles drove my cousins, brothers and me in their antique cars to meets, like the Maine Obsolete Auto League in York Harbor, Maine. My Uncle John still had my great-grandfather's 1927 Model T which still had the original top. Cars in various states of repair were stored in barns around the farm and as kids we would all play in the cars “driving” them like we were in the Dragnet show on TV. It was great to be able to grow up around all that wonderful old iron.Why do you stay interested in classic cars? I have continued my interest in old cars because I enjoy driving them. I describe it as a very organic experience. I help to put on the Main Street Car Show in Marlborough. This year was our sixth year and response has grown dramatically. The United Brethren Masonic Lodge donates the proceeds from the show to the Shriners Hospitals, the Wounded Warriors Project and to local Marlborough charities. Staying involved with cars keeps me out of trouble. My wife usually knows where to find me and there is always something you can be tending to in the garage.What skills have you learned in the hobby that have proven most valuable?Over the years I have learned a lot about body work, finishing and polishing from my brother Nick and from my friend Ricky. I worked as an electrician's helper through college which helped with installing or rewiring electrical components and systems in cars. Everything else mechanically I've learned by asking questions and reading the original shop manuals for the cars. I think the real key to working on a car is to be willing to learn and be logical about troubleshooting. Being willing to talk with someone that knows more about cars helps, too.(Got a car story? Contact Sunday Editor Rob Haneisen at 508-626-3882 or rhaneisen@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @Rob_HaneisenMW .)